The Photographer
by abandoned81409
Summary: CHAPTER FOUR POSTED! AU. Prue/Phoebe. Phoebe meets an aspiring photographer at P3. Spoilers through season five.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Phoebe Halliwell hurried toward her sisters and Leo, who were sitting at the bar at P3. Leo stood behind the bar, talking to Piper and Paige.

"Hi," she said, coming up beside them and leaning on the counter, clutching a magazine to her chest.

"Hey, Pheebs. What's cookin'?" asked Piper.

"Oh, if you're talking about Spencer Ricks, not him. I turned him back into the pig he was and, unfortunately, he won't remember any of it," Phoebe said, shaking her head in mock-disappointment.

"Glad to see you're not competitive anymore," said Leo, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, no. I don't think I have to worry anymore about him taking my readers," Phoebe said, bringing her hand to her chin as she spoke.

"And why would that be?" questioned Paige.

"Well...because, uh..." Phoebe slowly held up the magazine in her hands, turning it so her sisters could see it.

Phoebe held up the copy of _415 Magazine _she was holding. On the light blue cover was a picture of Phoebe, lounging in a beach chair, a copy of _The Bay Mirror_ -- the newspaper she was the advice columnist for-- in one hand.

"Whoa," Paige said, looking at the cover.

"Oh, no," Piper said. Paige took the magazine from her older sister and held it so she and Piper could see. Her mouth widened at the headline.

"Oh yes," Phoebe replied, smiling at her sisters' reactions. She pressed her left hand to her cheek.

"'Why Ask Phoebe When You Can See Her?'," Piper said, quoting the magazine's headline. She turned her head to look at her younger sister as Paige began flipping through the magazine.

"Talk about journalistic ethics, right?" Phoebe said.

Paige found the center of the magazine and noticed that it was tri-fold picture. A full body picture of Phoebe. She unfolded it and found a full-length body shot of her practically naked sister.

"Oh!" Piper gasped in surprise when she saw the photo. Phoebe laughed and covered her face with her hand.

"No retouching," Paige said, nodding her approval. "Good times."

"Okay, okay. G-gimme that," Phoebe said, gesturing for Paige to give the magazine back.

"No," her sisters said simultaneously. Paige shoved the magazine at Leo who took it, grinning widely, and followed Piper and Paige's back-to-back orders to run.

"No! Leo!" Phoebe called, starting to run after their Whitelighter, while her sisters laughed. "LEO!"

Half an hour had passed. Phoebe had finally gotten the magazine back from Leo, after having to jump for it few times. She now clutched in tightly against her chest again, as she sat in the alcove with her sisters.

"Piper!" Leo called, waving from the bar.

"Oh, looks like we're heading home," Piper said. "You two coming?" Phoebe and Paige exchanged a look.

"Nah," Paige replied. "We'll stick around here for a while."

"All right," said Piper. "We'll see you at home, then." The two that were remaining behind stood to hug the oldest before she went over to Leo, grabbing his hand, and they left for the parking lot.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Phoebe asked. Paige turned to her, her lips curving into a small smile. Phoebe laughed. "Good luck, sweetie." Paige grinned and slipped into the crowd on the dance floor, searching for an available guy to dance with.

One of the bartenders, Chuck, came up to Phoebe and handed her the drink she'd asked for. She thanked him and gave him a smile. He smiled back and made his way carefully through the crowd back to the bar.

She took a sip from the drink before setting it down on the table in front of her. She stared up at the DJ, who was putting on a slow song. Phoebe looked down, reminiscing about her first kiss with Cole, in this very club.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Phoebe looked up and met a pair of icy blue eyes. The owner of the eyes smiled a little shyly. She was holding a martini glass in her hand and wearing an elegant black dress similar in color to her long hair.

"Oh. Yeah, sure," Phoebe replied. "Please, have a seat."

"Thanks. There's not much available seating left," the raven-haired woman said, emphasizing her point by gesturing widely at the crowded club. Phoebe looked around and nodded her agreement.

"Hey, do I know you?" the other woman asked. Phoebe turned to her and grinned.

"I don't know, do you?"

The woman set her drink down beside Phoebe's and stared at her for a few minutes. When she finally got it, through her obvious drunken haze, she snapped her fingers and pointed at the brunette.

"Ask Phoebe!" she proclaimed. "You...are Ask Phoebe."

"I am," Phoebe said, smiling widely and chuckling slightly. "Phoebe Halliwell." She extended her hand. The other woman took it and they shook hands.

"Prue Matthews," she said. "I was actually hoping to run into you."

"Yeah? Why's that?" asked Phoebe, taking another sip from her drink and looking at the woman she now knew as Prue.

"Well, I'm interviewing for a place as a photographer at _415 Magazine_. The magazine you're holding onto right now, actually."

Phoebe set her drink down on the table and carefully placed the magazine down beside it, making sure that the cover was facing down.

"You didn't like the photos?" Prue asked.

"I think the full body, tri-fold shot was a bit much, honestly," Phoebe said. "I-I-I wasn't quite myself when those were taken, that's all."

"If it helps, I saw it and I thought you were beautiful. Seeing the real thing just convinces me I was right." Prue smiled at the brunette.

Phoebe blushed. "Thanks. So, uh, you were saying. About interviewing at _415_?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, Mr. Corsoe, the editor, wanted me to take a few shots of you. They're planning on doing an exclusive interview. Sound...familiar?"

"No. But I'll probably find the memo on my desk when I get to work tomorrow morning," Phoebe said, sighing.

"Well, I was hoping to set up a time and place to take some shots. Not now, obviously. It's still fresh. But, um, if I could give you my card..." Prue slid her bag off her shoulder and began to dig through it. She finally found what she was looking for.

"Here it is!" she said triumphantly. She pulled a pen out of her purse and jotted something down on the small piece of paper before handing it to Phoebe. "Here's my work number and extension and my cell number's written in there, too, if you can't reach me at the office."

"Great," Phoebe said, glancing down at the card. "I'll give you a call tomorrow after I get that memo."

"Great," Prue said, smiling. "Great." She picked up her glass, drank the remaining liquid and stood up. "All right, well...I have to be going. It was nice to meet you."

"You, too," Phoebe said. "I'll give you a call later."

"Fantastic. Bye, Miss Halliwell."

"Oh, Phoebe, honey. Just Phoebe," the brunette corrected her.

"All right. Well, Phoebe, then," Prue said. She grinned one last time before vanishing into the crowds.

Phoebe looked down at the business card in her hand and smiled. She found herself looking out for the other woman, watching to see if she had left.

Phoebe smiled slightly as she slipped the card into her purse. She looked up just in time to see her tired-looking, baby sister coming back over to her. Of course, Paige was never too tired to tease Phoebe.

"Whatcha got there, sis?" she asked, collapsing on the couch at Phoebe's side. She rested her head on the brunette's shoulder.

"I just met an aspiring photographer," Phoebe said. "And I have to call her. To set up a time and place for a photo shoot."

"Another? Wasn't this," Paige grabbed the magazine off the table and waved it in Phoebe's face, "enough for you?"

"It's not gonna be another one like that," Phoebe said. "At least, I don't think so."

"You better hope not. What's she want you for?"

"Apparently, I'll be getting a request for an exclusive interview from _415_ when I get to work. They need photos to accompany it. That's her trial job."

"Well, have fun with that," Paige said, letting out a long yawn.

"Are you tired, baby girl?" Phoebe asked softly, slipping her arm around Paige's waist.

"Yeah," Paige breathed, her warm breath tickling the skin on her sister's neck. Phoebe tilted her head a bit and saw that Paige's eyes were closed. She smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Wake up, Paigey," Phoebe whispered. "We've gotta get you to the car."

"Oh, that's easy," Paige said, opening her eyes halfway. She began to orb out, but Phoebe stopped her, pulled her back.

"No orbing," she said, softly but firmly. "Unless you want the entire club to know we're...not normal."

"Oh. Right," Paige murmured sleepily. She yawned again and rested in Phoebe's embrace. Phoebe sighed, wondering how she was going to get Paige up the stairs and to her car by herself. Luckily, Paige wouldn't have to drive her own car since she'd gotten a ride with Piper and Leo.

A gentle laugh came through the crowd and Phoebe looked up to see the owner of the laugh: Prue. She smiled sheepishly.

"Hey. Again." Phoebe rolled her eyes and Prue smiled.

"Hey. Need some help?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, actually. I need to get her to my car," Phoebe said. "I gotta get her home." Prue nodded and slipped her left arm around Paige's waist and gently pulled the redhead's right arm around her shoulders.

"Wha...?"

"Paigey, shh," Phoebe said. "My friend's just helping me get you to the car. Are you awake?"

"Mm-hm," Paige muttered.

"She's barely in there," Phoebe said. "I think she had some guys buying her drinks. She probably went a little overboard."

"It's cool," Prue said. "We're almost to the stairs. And that's the easy part. Wait until we get outside."

"Oh, I know. So many people, so much noise."

"Well, it'll wake her up," the raven-haired woman pointed out, "and make it a hell of a lot easier for the two of us to get her to your car."

"Good point," Phoebe said, laughing lightly at the other woman's comment. "Okay, c'mon, Paigey girl. Up the stairs." The two of them helped Paige onto the first stair and they slowly made their way up both sets of staircases and out the door. They made their way quickly to the parking lot, since all three could now walk on their own. The loud talking outside the club had temporarily snapped her awake.

"Thanks for helping," Phoebe said, turning to Prue. "I'll give you a call tomorrow morning."

Prue smiled. "I'll be waiting," she said softly. Phoebe opened her mouth to speak but stopped and just smiled.

"Bye," she said simply.

Prue grinned. "Bye." Phoebe watched the other woman walk away, her eyes trained on Prue's back.

"Pheebs, let's go! You woke me up so you better drive me home!" the redhead exclaimed, beeping the horn twice.

"Fine, fine," Phoebe said. She glanced back to see if Prue was still nearby. She was already gone. Phoebe sighed and climbed into the driver's seat of her car, tuning out the annoyed Paige as she drove back to Halliwell Manor.

"What took you so long?" her sister complained.

"Nothing."

"No. Not nothing. You were staring at that girl." Phoebe kept her eyes steadily on the road, avoiding her sister's glare. "Do you think she's attractive?"

"She's very pretty, Paige," Phoebe said. "Are you happy now?"

"Yep. Phoebe's got a crush! On a girl!" she exclaimed childishly. Phoebe smiled slightly and swatted at her sister with her right hand.

"I said nothing about a crush," the older woman protested. "I just said she's pretty."

"You were staring at her ass," said Paige. "I may be kinda tired but I'm not completely blind." Phoebe turned and glanced at her sister.

"She's pretty. That's it." Paige nodded and grinned.

"Yeah. That's it," she said. "She's just some pretty chick you met." Paige suddenly grinned really big and hugged her sister.

"Whoa! Paige! Driving here!" exclaimed Phoebe. "Hands off! What're you so excited about?"

Paige smiled. "She's the photographer, isn't she?"

Phoebe blushed and nodded. "She's the photographer."


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

It had been only about half a day since Prue had run into Phoebe Halliwell at the club, P3. She'd called 415 Magazine to confirm her assignment and the supposed interview request being sent out. Mr. Corsoe, the editor of the magazine, had assured her that Phoebe would be sent the invite within the week. If she had received it, she hadn't called yet and Prue was anxious.

Prue had been feeling strangely since she'd met Phoebe. Though she'd been slightly tipsy at the time, she'd felt completely entranced by the other woman. She remembered stupid, little things about Phoebe that she couldn't remember about anyone else. For example, she remembered the pink lipstick covering the brunette's full lips, how soft her hair had looked, the tone of her voice when she teased Prue, the sound of her laugh...

But the thing that had stood out most -- in Prue's eyes, anyway -- was how gentle she'd been with her sister, who was completely drunk. She'd been concerned about her and held her and took care of her. Prue had always wished she had an older sister. Or a younger sister, for that matter. Siblings in general would've been nice. She'd grown up with her childhood friend, Andy Trudeau, dated him in high school and college, and married him right out of college. But they'd grown apart and had separated and divorced last year, after nearly ten years of marriage. They were still friendly and talked sometimes, but it wasn't the same.

Since then, Prue had left herself open to anyone. If she was attracted to someone, male of female, she would pursue them as subtly as she could and get to know them. The longest of these relationships had lasted three months and was with a woman. They'd broken up two months ago and Prue was finally ready to date again.

And Phoebe...She was just so intriguing to Prue. It was strange, really, how she made Prue feel though they'd met only the night before. She just felt an unimaginable need to genuinely get to know this woman.

"Ms. Matthews?" Prue was ripped out of her thoughts by the voice of her assistant, Monique. Though she was trying out to be a photographer, she still had to earn a living somehow and had remained at her workplace of the last seven years, Buckland's Auction House.

"What's up, Monique?" she asked.

Monique held up a large statue. "Mr. Buckland said to bring this to you for pricing."

"Alright, well, can you set it on that table?" Prue jerked her thumb at a table behind her. Monique nodded and set the statue where she'd been asked. "Thanks." Monique nodded again and left Prue's office.

Prue turned back to what she'd been working to before she'd started daydreaming: filing. What a lovely task. It may have been February but it wasn't horribly cold outside and she wanted to be outside in the fresh air.

The phone rang, interrupting her again and she almost growled in frustration. She grabbed it off the hook and pressed it to her ear.

"Prue Matthews."

"Hey, it's Phoebe. Ask Phoebe, remember?"

Prue laughed. "I remember. You got the invite I take it?"

"Yep, waiting for me on my desk just like I thought it would be," Phoebe said. "So, when would be good for you to get these photos of little old me?"

"Whatever's good for you. Maybe Saturday?"

"Sounds good. How 'bout you pick me up at eleven-thirty and I'll treat you to lunch before our little photo shoot. Is that alright?"

"Uh, I guess. But you really don't have to buy me lunch, Phoebe."

"I want to," Phoebe said. "Let me treat you, Prue. Pleeeeeassssssseeeee?"

"Alright. Where do I pick you up?"

"Home. Thirteen twenty-nine Prescott Street. Eleven-thirty Saturday, okay?"

"I'll be there," Prue said sincerely.

"I'll be waiting. Bye."

"Bye." A click and the dial tone rang in Prue's ear. She grinned and shook her head before returning to work.

Phoebe looked at the phone in her office for a moment. She'd basically just forced Prue to go out with her. But oddly, she didn't regret it. She wanted to spend time with the other woman just to get to know her. Prue had really left an impression on Phoebe last night. She remembered silly little things like...how graceful Prue was, though she was a little tipsy, how sweet she was, her soft-but-serious voice, her smile...

Prue was an amazing woman -- or so she seemed. Phoebe had rather surprised herself when she thought this but she really thought so. She hadn't had a crush on a girl since she was in sixth grade. But with Cole gone, she was free to explore. She smiled at the thought and started sorting through her mountain of mail.

* * *

Paige woke up at around ten o'clock in the morning, late for a weekday and just generally late for Paige. She wasn't exactly an early bird but she didn't sleep in either. She sat up and her head instantly started to ache, reminding her of the reason she had woken up so later.

"Ah!" she cried, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Hangover. Why did I have to have such an obscene amount of alcohol?" She remembered having a bunch of guys buying her drinks but she didn't remember much after that.

"How'd I get home?" she wondered aloud, looking around her room. She closed her eyes and tried to remember. She saw Phoebe...That's right! Her sister had driven her home. She remembered Phoebe saying something about a photographer...then her mind went blank. All that thinking and remembering was only making her headache worse.

"Better lay back down," she muttered to herself. She laid back against the pillows and closed her eyes, her hand still pressed to her forehead. Slowly, the world faded away as she fell back into a dreamless slumber.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Saturday had arrived and Phoebe was anxiously rifling through her closet. She'd talked to Prue on Thursday but she still had no idea where they were going to take the photographs so she had no clue what would be appropriate to wear. Paige was sitting on her bed, half-listening to her babbling, nervous sister and looking through the clothes Phoebe had thrown at her.

"...And I guess all this babbling is just my way of saying that I am totally and completely terrified of making a bad first impression on Prue." Phoebe completed her babble-fest and took a deep breath before turning to Paige, looking at her sister as if expecting a verbatim script of all the incoherency she'd just piled on her.

"Paige?"

"Huh?" Paige looked up, setting the black dress slacks she'd been examining back on the bed. "Oh, uh, sorry, sis." Phoebe smiled and shook her head. "Why's this girl so important to you anyway? You only met her Monday night, y'know."

"I know. But there's just something about her..." Phoebe sighed. "I can't really put it into words. It almost feels like I _have to_ get to know her. I feel...drawn to her, I guess." She shrugged and sat down next to her sister.

Paige nodded and both of them were silent for a moment. Then, Paige reached for a pair of soft, semi-worn jeans out of the piles of clothes that had been thrown on the bed. She pushed them into Phoebe's arms along with a filmy white button-up blouse.

"It's warm so you should be fine out there," Paige said softly. "Even if the clothing's a little light for February. Just a grab a jacket on your way out." She sighed and got up to leave.

"Paige, wait," Phoebe said. Paige paused and looked at her sister inquiringly. "You're quiet today. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, honey," Paige said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Don't lie to me," Phoebe said quietly. "I know you. You always bristle up when I start dating again after a break-up. Or in this case, vanquishing an ex." She sighed. "Talk."

"Okay, okay." Paige took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm worried and maybe slightly jealous but...don't I have the right to be? You're my sister and...I don't want you hurting again. Plus, I mean, you've never dated a girl before." She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head, grinning. "They're high maintenance, Pheebs."

"And you would know this how?" Phoebe asked, genuinely curious.

"I had a...fling, I guess you could call it, with a girl at school," Paige said quietly.

"Really?" Phoebe was truly surprised. Paige didn't talk a whole lot about college, especially around Phoebe. She'd gone to Berkeley, a very prestigious university, whereas Phoebe hadn't gone to college at all and Piper had only attended a four-year community college. Phoebe and Piper assumed it just meant that she didn't want to hurt them by throwing her education in their faces.

"Yeah. She was great. Amazing, really," Paige said, smiling. "She left me cuz she'd taken me to meet her parents and they didn't approve of me. She couldn't take them rejecting her like that so...she left. I told her I understood but...even now, nearly two years later, it hurts like hell. I don't think I'll ever truly get over her. If she showed up right now, begging me to take her back...I would. In a heartbeat."

"Sounds like you loved her," Phoebe said gently, taking Paige's hand and pulling her back down onto the bed. Paige nodded in answer to Phoebe's statement. She pushed a stray lock of red hair back from her sister's face and got a little grin as her reward. "Why didn't you ever tell us, bring her home to meet everyone?"

"And say what to Grams? 'Hey, Grams, it's good to be home! Oh, her? Well, this is my, uh...my...my girlfriend, Mischa.' And then would come the standard shocked expressions from all three of you and...I didn't know then and I don't know even now if I'd be able to take that kind of reaction. Cuz I _knew_ that if Grams got me alone it would be all 'I don't understand this, Paige' and 'What did I do wrong?', and all kinds of other shit." She shook her head as Phoebe caressed her hair. "I loved her _so_ much and I lost her and it hurt. I don't want you to have to go through that."

"Paigey, I have a feeling that if Prue and I even progress to that point in a relationship, you'll accept it. And you're not the only one who's gone through her 'I date women only' phase, lemme tell ya. Piper told me not to say anything but...ask her about a girl named Amber after I leave." They shared grins and Paige sat up, clapping her hands together.

"Well," she said, sounding a bit more cheerful, "I'll leave you to get ready." She smiled and leaned in, giving her older sister an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the love fest, sis." Phoebe chuckled and nodded as Paige smirked and left the room. Phoebe closed the door and hurriedly began to freshen up and get dressed. She wondered if Prue was doing the exact same thing...

* * *

"I'm leaving!" Prue announced, smoothing out her denim skirt and pulling on her leather jacket. "I shouldn't have had to be here at all. It's a Saturday, for Christ's sake!"

"Miss Halliwell..." Prue sighed and jabbed the down button for the elevator as her slightly frightened-looking assistant trailed after her. And she was right to be scared because with her boss in this mood, anything could happen to her and she knew it.

"Go home, Monique! I've got better places to be on a weekend and seeing as you're about eight years younger than me, you should have _even better_ places. Go home and if Claire gets on your ass about it, you tell her I let you go and she can deal with me, okay?! Now, goodbye!!" The elevator bell rang and Prue stepped inside. She watched her confused assistant stand there before walking away as the doors to the elevator closed.

Prue looked at her watch and grimaced. She was already running kind of late for her...appointment with Phoebe. She smiled to herself at the thought and was about to go to her own little dreamland for a moment when the elevator bell rang again and the doors opened. Prue hurried out of the lobby and rushed to her car.

As she drove toward the address Phoebe had given her, Prue kept wondering if she was dressed appropriately for wherever Phoebe wanted to take her for lunch. What she wore was nowhere near as formal as what she normally wore to work. She was wearing a black blouse, a dark denim skirt, dark brown boots that completely covered her calves and stopped at her knee. Just in case it cooled down, she'd brought a black leather jacket as well. She thought she looked fine but she just hoped she wasn't overdressed. Or underdressed, for that matter.

She pulled up in front of Phoebe's address and put the car in park. She looked out the passenger side window at the house and held back the urge to say "wow". It wasn't huge but it was definitely bigger than the house she'd shared with Andy. That had been a one-story, two-bedroom house and she still lived there on her own. But it was nothing like this place. She could see that it was two-story house but she had no clue how many bedrooms there were; four, maybe? She shook her head and got out of the car, locking it as she walked up the front walk to the door. She pressed the doorbell and waited, her heart beating like crazy.

Paige paused the DVD she was watching and slowly left her spot on the couch. She wasn't all that thrilled about meeting her sister's potential girlfriend and was hoping Piper would come answer it for her. The doorbell rang again.

"Paige, can you get that?!" Piper called. Paige sighed and padded to the door. She touched the door knob, took a breath, and pulled it open.

The woman standing on the step was absolutely beautiful. She looked a little nervous but her sharp blue eyes entranced Paige. She stood there for at least a full minute, gaping at the woman until she recovered and politely asked her what she could do for her.

"Um, I'm Prue. You're...Paige, right?" Paige nodded. "Yeah...I remember you. Is, uh, is Phoebe here? We're kinda trying to meet up today..."

"Right," Paige said. "Um, please...come in." She stepped aside and Prue crossed the threshold. Paige closed the door and the two stood kind of awkwardly in the foyer. "So...uh, we've met?" Paige asked.

"Yeah," Prue said, looking up at her. "Monday night; the night I met Phoebe. You were...kinda wasted so you may not remember...It seems like you _don't_ remember, actually..." They shared a soft laugh.

"I get that way," Paige said. "Sometimes. Party a little too much since..." She trailed off and bit her bottom lip. An awkward silence fell between them...until Piper came in.

"Hi," she said cheerfully to Prue. "You must be Phoebe's date. I'm Piper Halliwell." She stuck out her hand. Prue took it and they shook.

"Yeah, owner of P3. I'm Prue. Prue Matthews. And I'm not Phoebe's date, really." Prue's cheeks were turning pink at the very thought.

"Well, nice to meet you, anyway." Piper smiled and turned to Paige. "Where's Phoebe, Paigey-girl?"

"I think she's still in her room. I'll, uh...I'll go get her," Paige said and left the room as quickly as she could. She'd only just told one of her sisters about Mischa and then had practically spilled it to a complete stranger. She shook her head and tried to compose herself as she walked up the stairs and down the hall to Phoebe's bedroom. The door was still closed and she knocked loudly.

"Pheebs! Your date's here!" she called out in a teasing tone. The door opened and Phoebe stepped out, dressed in the clothes Paige had picked out for her, wearing light make-up, with her hair back in a ponytail and her bangs falling down her eyes.

"Well?" Phoebe asked her younger sister, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. Paige smiled and nodded her approval. "Good. So...she's here?" Paige nodded again. "And I'm acting ridiculously nervous?"

"Yep," Paige said. "Just be yourself, big sis."

"Yeah, myself," Phoebe muttered. "Too bad half of my time is spent kicking demon ass. Can't exactly say that kinda stuff when you're going out with someone and you don't even know if it's a real date."

"She didn't look too sure of that herself. Did you guys clarify...anything?" Phoebe shook her head. "Well, you will now. Get down there before she decides you're not worth it and leaves." Phoebe rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs. She expected to hear Paige following her and was surprised when she heard her sister's bedroom door close. She wondered what was wrong but tried not to let it worry her.

"Hey," she said, stepping down into the foyer. She expected a "hey back" but was greeted with the sound of Piper and Prue arguing animatedly about the merits of shrimp puffs. Phoebe sighed and tapped Piper's shoulder, leaned in, and whispered something in her sister's ear. Piper instantly stopped talking and gave both Prue and Phoebe an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," she said to Prue. "I get a little heated when it comes to food." She smiled sheepishly and Prue grinned back.

"No problem," Prue said. "I always love debating stuff. Subject doesn't matter as long as I know a little something about it. We'll have to talk again soon."

"Yeah, that'd be great. It was nice to meet you," Piper said politely. She and Prue shook hands again and Piper retreated to the kitchen again.

"So...hey," Phoebe said.

"Hey back," Prue said softly. "You look...great! I'm not overdressed or anything, am I?"

"No, no! You look...you look beautiful," Phoebe said. "It's just a casual little restaurant; don't worry." Prue sighed in relief and grinned at the brunette. "But, uh, what about the photos? Am I dressed for wherever you're taking me?" Prue nodded. "Good."

"So, shall we?" Prue asked, holding out her hand. Phoebe nodded and took the other woman's hand, allowing Prue to lead her out to the car.

"Can I drive?" Phoebe asked. "Please?" She gave Prue a little pout and the raven-haired woman relented. Phoebe smirked and took the wheel.

"So...are you seeing anyone?" Prue inquired, as gently as she could. Phoebe bit back a smile and shook her head.

"No, but I'm interested in someone," she replied, briefly glancing over at her dark-haired companion. "Kinda new for me. I've never been interested in someone like this." She smiled mischievously and looked over at Prue, her eyebrows raised. Prue grinned.

"I think that 'someone' is interested back," Prue said. "And they probably wanna get to know you."

"Well, I wanna get to know them too," Phoebe said, chuckling. "Alright, here we are." She pulled into a parking space and turned off the car. Prue took the keys from the brunette and looked at the building before them.

"Friday's?" she asked, chuckling. Phoebe shrugged and they got out of the car. Prue made sure it was locked, pocketed her keys and followed Phoebe into the restaurant.


	4. Chapter Four

**Author's Note: All right people, here's the "big date." Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!**

* * *

Chapter Four

After ordering their meals, the two women sat rather quietly across from each other, sneaking looks at each other and blushing and giggling when they were caught by the other. Phoebe didn't mind it very much but Prue seemed to be getting kind of irritated.

"Okay," she finally said, "this is getting ridiculous. The blushing and giggling...Let's talk about...something; anything. That's what normal people do, right?"

"I think so, yeah," Phoebe said, grinning at her companion. "Fine, you start out then. What do you want to know about 'Ask Phoebe'?"

"Well, I know that 'Ask Phoebe' gives all this great advice, right? So, the question: Do you believe in all the advice you give?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I stay true to my beliefs when I write this stuff, but I kinda...alter some of it to fit that person's situation. I'm a little bolder than most, too, so I have to tame some of it down."

"And you like your job?"

"Love it. And these are some of the questions that interviewer's gonna give me, aren't they?"

"Thought I'd warm you up a little," Prue admitted, grinning. "So moving on...are the youngest in your family?"

"Nope, middle child," Phoebe said. "And because of that, when my sisters fight, I'm the referee. Eternally." She chuckled. "What about you? Got any siblings?"

"Only child. Had a friend who was kinda like a brother, though." She looked down for a moment. "He was my boyfriend through most of high school, all of college, and now he's my ex-husband."

"I'm sorry," Phoebe said softly. "I was married for a while too. We split up, though. He..."

"Changed? Cheated?"

Phoebe smiled. "Nosy girl. Um, no cheating, but...yeah. He changed. He was different. His name was...Cole. He and my sisters hadn't really ever gotten along and he tried to stop me from seeing them, so...I said goodbye. He disappeared after that and came back a while ago. We divorced officially and now he's gone again. I, uh, don't know what happened to him." She rubbed at her neck nervously. "What about your guy?"

"His name was Andy. And like I said...high school, college...we got married right out of college. But...we just...we weren't meant to be. We'd been married for nearly ten years, but...it just didn't feel right. I think a part of me knew before we even started dating back in high school that it wasn't right, but...we'd been friends forever. Our parents expected us to get together at some point, so we did. I know he really loved me, but I just didn't love him the same way. And it wasn't just him. I've never been as attracted to guys as I am girls."

"So, you're...gay?"

"Bisexual. Though, yeah, I'm probably leaning more toward those of the female persuasion. What about you?"

"I don't what I am. I just go out with who I wanna go out with, y'know?" Prue nodded and took Phoebe's hand across the table.

"What is this?" she asked quietly, peering into the brown eyes before her. Before Phoebe could say a word, the waitress came back with their drinks. Prue wouldn't look away from Phoebe, but Phoebe offered the waitress an awkward smile and a quiet thank you before she walked off again.

"Prue..." She turned back to the dark-haired woman and grinned. "It's us getting to know each other. I mean, I like you..."

"I like you too," Prue interrupted.

"...and I wanna know you."

"Good," Prue said, smiling. "I really wanna get to know you too. It seems to me that there's definitely more to Phoebe Halliwell than meets the eye."

"You have no idea," Phoebe muttered.

"Sorry?"

"Oh, nothing," Phoebe said quickly, her cheeks turning slightly pink; she hadn't thought Prue had heard her. She looked down at her food and picked up her fork and knife. Prue tensed a little at the sudden halt to the conversation, realizing she'd hit on a sensitive subject. Prue wondered what Phoebe was hiding and if it was anything like what she kept hidden.

When they'd finished eating, Prue tried to get Phoebe to let her pay the bill, but Phoebe insisted. It had been her idea to hit a restaurant before the photo shoot anyway. Prue gave in, they paid the bill, and left, this time with Prue at the wheel.

"So, where are you taking me?" Phoebe asked, smiling at her new friend. Prue shook her head and said nothing. "You're not gonna tell me anything?" Phoebe asked.

"I'll tell you that I think you'll like where I'm taking you, but I may be wrong."

"You're not gonna blindfold me or anything, are you?" Prue shook her head. "Good. Blindfolds and I don't meld very well."

Prue glanced at her eyebrows raised. "I don't think I wanna know."

Phoebe shook her head, laughing. "You're right. You so don't wanna know." They exchanged smiles and Prue turned back to the road. Phoebe put her elbow on the armrest and cupped her chin in her hand. She gazed out the window, but she wasn't really seeing what they were passing. She felt warm all over. She felt butterflies fluttering around in her belly.

"Hey, Phoebe? We're here," Prue said. Phoebe woke from her warm-feelings-induced daydreams and saw where they were.

"Golden Gate Park? Really?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah. Is that okay?" Prue asked nervously. Phoebe smiled. "I'll take that as a yes. Come on, get out. Let's go."

Phoebe got out of the car and looked up at the sun. It was a beautiful day for February in San Francisco. The park was a perfect spot for photos. Prue gathered her equipment from the backseat of the car and then led the way to the spot she'd picked for their photo shoot.

"Oh, Prue, this is really nice," Phoebe said softly. Prue smiled. "Where do you want me?"

Prue swallowed. "You really don't wanna know," she thought. But aloud she said, "Wherever you want. I just want you to be comfortable."

Phoebe dropped down on a patch of grass as Prue put the camera strap around her neck and loaded in a new roll of film. She looked at Phoebe through the viewfinder and smiled. She was so beautiful. Prue had this uncouth desire to do very bad things to her.

As Prue snapped pictures, she was beginning to wonder if Phoebe even knew the camera was there. She was moving around, picking daisies, and just seemed to be in her own world.

When Prue ran out of film, she put the camera down and just watched Phoebe. She was now certain that the brunette was unaware of the camera. Her eyes were closed and she still had a flower in her hands.

"What're you thinking?" Prue asked quietly.

"How beautiful you are," Phoebe replied, tossing the flower aside and looking up at Prue who had turned a deep shade of red. "Come sit next to me."

Prue packed her camera up and slung it over her shoulder before falling onto the grass beside Phoebe. They looked at each other for the longest time, saying nothing at all. They just gazed at each other, each with their own look of concentration. They were studying each other, really. They each wondered if the other wanted to do the same thing they wanted to do in that moment.

Their questions were answered when they simultaneously leaned nearer to each other. Prue heard Phoebe's breathing become heavier, faster. She was sure she was doing the same thing as she wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist and pulled Phoebe to her.

"You sure?" Phoebe asked, meeting her eyes.

"Haven't been this sure of anything for a while," Prue whispered. They both smiled at Prue's words. But before Phoebe's could reply, Prue's lips were on hers, her eyes were slamming shut, and she started to believe she had died and gone to heaven.


End file.
